Task Coach Review 2025: Features, Pros, and Setup Guide

Task Coach Review 2025: Features, Pros, and Setup GuideTask Coach remains a notable open‑source task manager focused on hierarchical task organization. In 2025 it still appeals to users who prefer a lightweight, privacy-respecting, and offline-capable tool for managing tasks, subtasks, notes, and time tracking. This review covers key features, strengths and weaknesses, and a step‑by‑step setup guide to help you get started.

What is Task Coach?

Task Coach is an open‑source, cross‑platform task manager designed for managing personal tasks, to‑dos, and projects with support for subtasks, categories, notes, attachments, and basic time tracking. It emphasizes simplicity, offline use, and a structured approach to nested tasks rather than the flattened task lists popular in many modern apps.

Key Features (2025)

• Hierarchical tasks and subtasks: create nested tasks to represent projects and steps.
• Multiple task attributes: start/due dates, priority, status, percent complete.
• Notes and attachments: add descriptive notes and attach files to tasks.
• Time tracking: start/stop timers on tasks; log time spent.
• Recurring tasks: flexible recurrence rules for repeating items.
• Categories and filtering: assign categories/tags and filter/sort task lists.
• Import/export: supports iCalendar (.ics), CSV, and its own XML format.
• Cross‑platform desktop apps: Windows, macOS, and Linux builds (Qt-based).
• Portable use: can run from a USB stick or a user directory without system install.
• Privacy/offline-first: stores data locally; no mandatory cloud account.

What’s new in 2025

• Updated Qt backend and compatibility fixes for modern macOS and Windows releases.
• Improved stability for large task trees and faster load times for big XML files.
• Minor UI refinements: clearer icons, better contrast, and optional dark theme.
• Community plugins and scripts for syncing with third‑party services (community maintained; not official).
• Continued emphasis on local data — no built‑in cloud sync.

Pros

• Free and open source — no subscription, inspectable code.
• Strong hierarchical task support — excellent for project breakdowns.
• Offline and privacy-friendly — data stored locally by default.
• Cross‑platform and portable — runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and from USB.
• Lightweight and low‑resource — good for older hardware.

Cons

• No official cloud sync — requires third‑party tools or manual sync.
• UI feels dated compared with modern task apps.
• Limited mobile support — no official native mobile apps (third‑party tools may exist).
• Fewer integrations — lacks native connections to calendars, email, or automation services.

Who is Task Coach best for?

• Users who prioritize privacy and local data ownership.
• People who need hierarchical task structures (students, researchers, small project managers).
• Users on older or low‑power machines who want a lightweight app.
• Those who prefer open‑source tools and are comfortable with occasional manual syncing.

Setup Guide (Windows / macOS / Linux)

1. Download and install

   • Visit the official Task Coach website or the project’s GitHub releases page and download the installer or archive for your OS.
   • Windows: run the installer or extract the portable zip.
   • macOS: open the DMG and drag Task Coach to Applications.
   • Linux: use the provided AppImage or distribution package (or run from source with Python/Qt if you prefer).

2. First run and initial settings

   • Launch Task Coach. Create a new task file (it will save as an XML file).
   • Configure preferences: choose theme (light/dark), set default task attributes, and enable autosave frequency.

3. Creating tasks and subtasks

   • Click “New Task” and fill in title, start/due dates, priority, and notes.
   • To create a subtask, select a parent task and choose “New Subtask” (or drag a task onto another to nest).
   • Use percent‑complete and time tracking fields to monitor progress.

4. Time tracking

   • Start a timer on a task when beginning work; stop when finished.
   • View logged time in the task details and export time logs via CSV if needed.

5. Categories and filtering

   • Create categories (e.g., “Work”, “Personal”, “Urgent”) and assign them to tasks.
   • Use filter options to show only tasks matching status, category, date range, or priority.

6. Recurring tasks

   • Open task properties → Recurrence and set frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) and end rules.

7. Backup and sync

   • Save your main task file to a local folder; make regular backups (File → Save As).
   • For cloud sync, store the Task Coach XML file in a synced folder (Dropbox/Nextcloud) or use Git for versioning. Be cautious of merge conflicts.

8. Import/export

   • Import from iCal/CSV where supported. Export to iCal, CSV, or XML for sharing/backup.

Tips and workflow examples

• Project planning: create a top‑level task per project, then add milestones as subtasks and action items as nested tasks. Use categories for context (Meetings, Coding, Admin).
• Daily workboard: filter to show tasks due today and sort by priority. Mark quick items complete and defer others by changing start dates.
• Time‑boxed sessions: use timers for 25–50 minute focused sessions and log time to measure consistency.

Alternatives to consider

• If you need strong cloud sync and mobile apps: consider Todoist, Microsoft To Do, or TickTick.
• For Kanban-style boards: Trello, KanbanFlow, or Joplin with plugins.
• For privacy-focused open source with sync: Nextcloud Tasks (with CalDAV), or Org-mode (Emacs) for power users.

Final verdict

Task Coach in 2025 remains a solid choice if you want a free, open‑source, privacy‑minded task manager with robust hierarchical task support and local storage. It’s not the sleekest or most integrated option, but for users valuing control, simplicity, and offline use, Task Coach is a dependable, lightweight tool that still earns a recommendation for specific workflows.